When the Improtech Soccer Elite Academy in South Tyneside gets fully into its stride over the next few years, it plans to become the clear ‘go-to’ centre for talented young footballers in the borough.

St Joseph’s in Hebburn along with St Bede’s in Peterlee is one of our ‘super-Academies’ running three squads simultaneously – a boys’ section, a girls section and a development section.

The boys and girls sections are for elite young footballers while the innovative development section, created by popular demand, is for those on the cusp of selection to elite, who have the potential to progress.

The school’s running of three distinct sections underlines its commitment to the development of high-quality youth football in South Tyneside.

Of course, it is the launch of the first all-girls’ Improtech Soccer elite academies within the school system – at St Bede’s in Peterlee as well as St Joseph’s – which attracted regional and national media interest at their launch.

Announcement of launch of Improtech’s Girls Elite Football Academy at St Joseph’s, Hebburn.

And Peter Mitchell, head of St Joseph’s acknowledges it is an exciting development: “This will be a great opportunity for talented young female players in South Tyneside,” he said.

“It finally starts giving them a way to develop their footballing excellence within school hours and the school system.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer girls the same service as we are providing for the boys, with some of the most highly-qualified football coaches giving them the same sort of training you would see at professional football clubs.

“We want to recruit the very best young players across South Tyneside and beyond – male and female – and ensure that their football talent is nurtured at the same time they receive a first-rate education.”

As with St Bede’s, the academy is open to all talented girl footballers – whether religious or non-religious.

An excited Carlton Fairweather, former manager of Women’s Super League side Sunderland Ladies, has been appointed to oversee the development of the girl’s academies at the two schools

He said: “There’s nowhere like this in the North East or across the country where talented schoolgirls will be part of a group of lady footballers working on their skills alongside their studies.

“I’ve seen the results Improtech has had over the years with young lads signing for football clubs up and down the country and I would like to do the same for girls’ football development.

“The Academy at St Joseph’s will give us the chance to get promising young groups of girl footballers together and make sure their football talent is developed to its fullest potential.”